Industry News

Like so many of us, I awoke on Tuesday to the horrific news of the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge that acted as a major artery across Baltimore Harbor. My first instinct was to turn to a national cable channel so that I could better understand the alerts humming across my phone. But as the morning wore on, I found myself turning to the local stations in Baltimore and watching and reading their superb coverage on their websites. Not only do they have the local knowledge and self-interest that elevates their coverage well beyond anything a national network

The credibility of the US media has seen a rebound, with radio leading the way as the most trusted source of news in the country. A Morning Consult survey found AM/FM trust has grown from 60% to 63% in the last four years, with podcasts having a massive surge. Overall, radio sits far above the 55% perceived credibility in news media among US adults in 2023, but paces under the total four percentage point increase. This recovery is largely attributed to a significant shift in Republicans’ views, with several outlets witnessing double-digit growth in credibility.

“The political money is going to be flowing like never before,” Steve Passwaiter told a RAB webinar audience Thursday. Somewhere between $10 billion and $16 billion will flood the zone, with the biggest portion invested in local and state races. That’s good news for radio as spending on so-called down ballot races, to fill seats in state Legislatures and state Supreme Courts, climbs higher this year. That’s because the landmark U.S. Supreme Court decision that held that the Constitution does not confer a right to abortion hurled the highly charged issue to the 50 states to decide. “As a result,

In findings that could reshape how the modern political campaign is run, a new Nielsen study shows the substantial impact of radio on elections. The study, in partnership with Cumulus Media, iHeartMedia, and Audacy, reveals that early deployment of AM/FM ads significantly enhances reach, particularly among undecided voters. The study found that AM/FM outperforms both television and connected TV in reaching voters across all segments, notably among independent and unaffiliated voters. This challenges the conventional use of radio for targeting narrow segments or last-minute “get out the vote” efforts, suggesting its effectiveness as a broad-scale media strategy akin to TV.

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The local commercial broadcast television and radio industry generates $1.23 trillion of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and 2.52 million jobs through direct and stimulative effect on the American economy. That’s the key takeaway from a new study from Woods & Poole Economics produced with support from BIA Advisory Services. The analysis examines broadcasting’s impact on the economy through direct employment, its ripple effect on other industries and as an advertising medium for messaging consumers. Radio and television stations’ influence on the national economy, as well as information by state, is provided in the study, which was shared by

In a landmark move on Monday, President Biden issued an executive order based on the use of artificial intelligence in America, emphasizing safety, job security, and privacy. This order comes as AI is at the forefront of radio’s attention, especially with concerns about how the technology will be used in media’s future. As this executive order is the first step toward government regulation of artificial intelligence, Radio Ink reached out to two experts in broadcasting’s AI sector for their thoughts: David Perry, Copyright Attorney at Blank Rome in Philadelphia, and Raoul Wedel, CEO of Wedel Software and Adthos.

An appellate panel said Texas photojournalists were wrong to believe they have a sweeping First Amendment right to film private citizens on private property without permission. (CN) — In a loss for Texas journalists, a Fifth Circuit panel on Monday ruled a state law restricting use of drones does not violate the First Amendment. While flying his drone over a San Marcos, Texas apartment complex where several people had died from an arson fire in July 2018, San Antonio Express-News multimedia reporter Billy Calzada was approached by a federal agent. The agent told him he was interfering with a federal investigation

The kids are back at school, adults are back at work, and football season is officially here. Post-Labor Day marks the start of radio’s primetime as listening levels climb compared to the summer months as Americans resume their regular routines and normal listening behaviors return. For programmers, that means there are more quarter hours to be had, the pie is about to get bigger, and it’s time to capitalize on that. Contesting shifts into high gear, including thousand-dollar giveaways for the big groups. On-air lineups get tweaked, new shows and new formats launch. And with good reason. According to Nielsen

ESPN Radio makes it official as the network announces its new on-air lineup, which takes effect Tuesday, Sept. 5. As previously reported, mornings will be led by the trio of Chris Canty, Evan Cohen, and Michelle Smallmon. Mike Greenberg’s “Greeny” continues in the 10am-12pm hours; Chris Carlin will move from afternoons to 12-3pm, joined by Joe Fortenbaugh, who was most recently in evenings; Veteran ESPN Radio host Freddie Coleman moves from late nights to 3-7 p.m. alongside Harry Douglas; Evening host Amber Wilson is joined by Ian Fitzsimmons, who had been co-hosting late nights, for an expanded three-hour window (7-10pm); Q Myers will